Anti-falling apparatus for cabinets

ABSTRACT

An anti-falling apparatus for a cabinet includes a receiving member capable of being mounted to the cabinet. An extending arm is slidably received in the receiving member. The extending arm includes a first end a second end, and is capable of moving from a first position to a second position. A supporting sub-assembly is attached to the first end of the extending arm. A first distance from the first end to a top of the receiving member is greater than that a second distance from the second end to the top of the receiving member.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an accessory of a cabinet. The invention particularly relates to an anti-falling apparatus for a server cabinet.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally speaking, a server is attached to two rail assemblies in a cabinet for the convenient attachment and maintenance of the server. The server can be drawn out of the cabinet conveniently like a drawer via the rail assemblies. When the drawn-out server is too heavy, the center of gravity of the cabinet shifts forward, thereby making the cabinet prone to fall. Screws or other stabilizing members standing on the floor are generally mounted to the bottom of the cabinet to prevent it from falling. However, it is inconvenient for screws to be used in a room having anti-static floor, since the stabilizing members are typically too big and too heavy to be conveniently used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an anti-falling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevated front view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 3, but showing an extending arm of the anti-falling apparatus being pulled out; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are assembled views of the anti-falling apparatus together with a cabinet, showing two using states.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, an anti-falling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the bottom of a cabinet 10. The anti-falling apparatus includes a receiving member 20, an extending arm 30, a blocking member 40, and a supporting sub-assembly 50.

The receiving member 20 includes a bottom plate 21, two parallel sidewalls 23 perpendicularly extending from opposite sides of the bottom plate 21, and two mounting portions 22 perpendicularly extending out from tops of the sidewalls 23. The sidewalls 23 are trapezial-shaped or trianglular-shaped. A first end of the receiving member 20 has a greater distance between the bottom plate 21 and one mounting portion 22 than that of a second end of the receiving member 20. The mounting portions 22 respectively define a plurality of holes 221 therein. Two locating portions 231 pointing towards each other perpendicularly extend from the middle part of the sidewalls 23. The sidewalls 23 define a plurality of holes 232 adjacent the first end of the receiving member 20.

The cross-section of the extending arm 30 is approximately C-shaped. A sunken surface 31 is formed at the first end of the extending arm 30, and a protrusion 32 protruding up from the second end of the extending arm 30. The sunken surface 31 is downwards slanting and parallel to the mounting portion 22 of the receiving member 20. A column-shaped supporting portion 311 extends up from the sunken surface 31. The supporting portion 311 defines a through screw hole along an axis thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the cross-section of the blocking member 40 is approximately C-shaped. The blocking member 40 includes a bottom plate and two sidewalls perpendicularly extending from opposite sides of the bottom plate. The sidewalls are trapezial-shaped or trianglular-shaped. A distance from the first end of the bottom plate to the top of one sidewall is greater than that from the second end of the bottom plate to the top of the sidewall. The first and second ends of the bottom plate define a clamping portion 41 and a blocking portion 43, respectively. The clamping portion 41 is a U-shaped opening whose entrance is greater than any other parts thereof. Two protrusions 411 pointing towards each other extend from opposite sides of the opening adjacent the close end. The blocking portion 43 is a U-shaped opening. The sidewalls of the blocking member 40 define a plurality of screw holes 42 corresponding to the holes 232 of the receiving member 20.

The supporting sub-assembly 50 includes a foot 51 and an adjusting member 52. The foot 51 is approximately discoid-shaped. A screw hole is defined in the middle of the foot 51. The adjusting member 52 includes a grip 521 and a screw 522 perpendicularly extending down from the middle of the grip 521.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the extending arm 30 is slidably received in the receiving member 20 and located under the locating portions 231 of the receiving member 20. The first end of the extending arm 30 is corresponding to the first end of the receiving member 20. The bottom plate of the blocking member 40 is placed on the extending arm 30, and the blocking member 40 is placed between two sidewalls 23 of the receiving member 20. The clamping portion 41 of the blocking member engages with the supporting portion 311 of the extending arm 30. A plurality of screws passes through the holes 232 of the receiving member 20 and the screw holes 42 of the blocking member 40 to fix the blocking member 40 to the receiving member 20. The screw 522 of the adjusting member 52 of the supporting sub-assembly 50 passes through the through screw hole of the supporting portion 311 of the extending arm 30, and screws into the screw hole the foot 51 of the supporting sub-assembly 50. The supporting portion 311 of the extending arm 30 is capable of being squeezed through the protrusions 411 of the clamping portion 41 of the blocking member 40, and the clamping portion 41 is capable of clamping the supporting portion 311 by its close end and the protrusions 411 to prevent the extending arm 30 from sliding out freely. The blocking portion 43 of the blocking member 40 is capable of blocking the protrusion 32 of the extending arm 30, when the extending arm 30 slides out of the receiving member 20. A plurality of screws passes through the holes 221 of the receiving member 20 to screw the receiving member 20 to the bottom of the cabinet 20.

Referring also to FIG. 6, during use, when some servers need to be drawn out of the cabinet 10, the extending arm 30 is drawn out of the receiving member 20. The supporting portion 311 of the extending arm 30 is disengaged from the clamping portion 41 of the blocking member 40. The grip 521 of the adjusting member 52 of the supporting sub-assembly 50 is rotated to adjust the height of the foot 51 until the foot 51 abuts against the ground to expand the area where the cabinet 10 meets the ground, for preventing the cabinet 10 from falling.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments. 

1. An anti-falling apparatus for a cabinet, comprising: a receiving member capable of being mounted to the cabinet; an extending arm slidably received in the receiving member; the extending arm comprising a first end a second end, and capable of moving from a first position to a second position; a supporting sub-assembly attached to the first end of the extending arm; wherein a first distance from the first end to a top of the receiving member is greater than that a second distance from the second end to the top of the receiving member.
 2. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving member comprises a bottom plate, and two sidewalls extending from opposite sides of the bottom plate; one of the sidewalls comprises a locating portion, wherein the extending arm is located under the locating portion when in the first position.
 3. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sidewalls of the receiving member are perpendicular to the bottom plate of the receiving member and are trapezial-shaped.
 4. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receiving member further comprises two mounting portions perpendicularly extending out from tops of the sidewalls, and the mounting portions are capable of being mounted to the cabinet.
 5. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extending arm defines a supporting portion, and the supporting portion defines a through screw hole; the supporting sub-assembly is engaged to the screw hole.
 6. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the supporting sub-assembly comprises: a foot; and an adjusting member comprising a grip and a screw; wherein the screw passes through the screw hole, and is fixed to the foot.
 7. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further comprising: a blocking member attached to the receiving member; wherein the blocking member comprises a clamping portion capable of securing the supporting portion of the extending arm when in the first position.
 8. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the clamping portion is a U-shaped opening with two protrusions extending towards each other from opposite sides of the U-Shaped opening; the supporting portion is secured at the base of the U-shaped opening when in the first position.
 9. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 7, a protrusion protrudes up from the second end of the extending arm and is blocked by the blocking member in the second position.
 10. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, the blocking member further comprises a blocking portion that abuts the extending arm protrusion in the second position.
 11. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the blocking portion is U-shaped.
 12. The anti-falling apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein a sunken surface is formed at the first end of the extending arm, and the supporting portion is extended from the sunken surface.
 13. An anti-falling method for a cabinet, comprising: providing: a receiving member; an extending arm slidably received in the receiving member, the extending arm comprising a first end and a second end; and a supporting sub-assembly attached to the first end of the extending arm; wherein a first distance from the first end to a top of the receiving member is greater than that a second distance from the second end to the top of the receiving member; sliding the extending arm from a first position to a second position; and adjusting the supporting sub-assembly when in the second position;
 14. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 13, wherein sliding comprises moving the first end of the extending arm out of the receiving member.
 15. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 14, wherein when adjusting the supporting sub-assembly an adjusting member is rotated in a through screw hole defined on a supporting portion.
 16. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising: further providing a blocking member attached to the receiving member; wherein the blocking member comprises a clamping portion capable of securing the supporting portion of the extending arm when in the first position.
 17. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 16, wherein pulling comprises removing the supporting portion from the clamping portion.
 18. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 16, wherein sliding comprises the extending arm being pulled until a protrusion that is located on the second end of the extending arm is blocked by a blocking portion.
 19. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 15, wherein when adjusting, a screw of the support subassembly is rotated.
 20. The anti-falling method as claimed in claim 16, wherein adjusting comprises of rotating the adjusting member so that a foot will rest against a surface. 